Although not a major Country bluesman, Earl
Bell - born on February 1914 in Hernando, Ms - was a quite well-known figure in
and around Memphis for three decades.

He seems to have
played with several Beale Street jug bands during the 1940's after he came to
live in Memphis. He said he was constantly playing the juke joints in
Mississippi and Arkansas. Still according to him, he would have known Robert Johnson,
being the composer of his "Terraplane blues"! He also said he had
recorded before and just after the war but no evidence of those could be found.

Whatever it is, Earl
has worked many jobs in Memphis, hauling freight, railroad employee, factory worker...
While playing regularly in the streets of Memphis and along the Mississippi
river, often with guitarist Walter Miller and harp player Memphis Sonny Boy
(Marshall Jones).

But it is only with
the blues revival that Earl had at last the opportunity to record, first in
1964 for Swedish radio producer Olle Helander in 1964 (several titles are still
unissued!), then in 1967 for George Mitchell, a lengthy session that has never
been issued in LP or CD and that is even impossible to buy as .mp3 download from
Europe!

In 1970, Gene
Rosenthal from Adelphi records waxes Earl Bell with his long-time partner
Memphis Sonny Boy for a wonderful version of "Catfish" (it seems that
there are also some unissued titles from that day?).

At that point, Earl
could have toured Europe that certainly would have given him a greater
recognition. But Earl - with a flailing health - was very reluctant to travel
too far from his Memphis home. He appeared only in small local festivals,
recording only one more title in 1973.

Sugar Blue, Taj Mahal, Muddy,B.B., Gérard... Lyon (France), july 1979... A great night of wonderful music and great people. Muddy had to play in London the next day and his plane was leaving early in the morning, so he stayed all night long onstage, backstage and in the lobby of the hotel, chatting, telling tales and reminiscences of his childhood in Mississippi...

Great, must have been a blast. Sugar Blue was young then, who's band was he in at that time? I never met him or Taj but did meet both Muddy & BB in Australia in mid-1970s, wonderful friendly guys. Hope you can put up more photos like this Gerard.

Thanls Bob Mac, glad you appreciate! At that time Sugar Blue was livig in France and had an all French band with his girlfriend playing the bass. On this night there was also a set by Luther Allison, he was also then living in France. Taj played a long set first alone and then with a full band with a lot of percussions... B.B. and Muddy had their usual bands and they played each a very lengthy set. All the best.

Gérard,got a message from Max Hoeffner (painter and very knowledgable blues connoisseur from Argentine) claiming that four of the George Mitchell recordings on your "Complete Earl Bell" compilation (as well as on the Fat Possum collection "The George Mitchell Collection, Volume 4, Disc 5" as well as in The Bible, New Testament I, 2nd ed.) actually are recordings of the following musicians:- Telephone Ringing - Abe McNeil- Black Panther - Abe McNeil- 2 Trains Running - Abe McNeil- Leave In The Morning - Walter MillerAs I'm not good at determining artists "by ear", could you please enlighten me about what were your sources when compiling your "Complete Earl Bell" ?Thanks in advance !!!and best regardsStefan Wirz

Thanks Stefan. Those tracks that are not available from Europe and that have only been downloadable as .mp3 in the Us had been given to me through mail and as Earl Bell.s tracks. But of course Max can be right . I took the disco from Blues Discography Volume 1. Anyway those tracks are good ones . All the best

Thanks Gérard for your answer --- meanwhile I have asked George Mitchell for an opinion and he wrote me he'd answer as soon as he had listened to those tracks (which I now made accessible for him)One thing is sure (after I listened myself to those tracks in question): On "Two Trains Running" the musician sings "Come On In, McNeil", so at least this riddle is obviously solved by the man himself ! ;-)Will report if and what George Mitchell has to say ...

Thanks Stefan. As I told you, those tracks have never been published on LP or CD form and were only downloadable in North America (!!!). So, after several years of trying to hear them, a good soul finally sent me those very hard to get tracks. I think George Mitchell will solve this enigma.